Adjustable handle for toothbrushes



Sept. 1952 F, uP-r 2,609,251

ADJUSTABLE HANDLE FOR TOOTHBRUSHES Filed April 28, 1947 [nveniorjF'rdinand R. Haupt j v v 9% a 3 Age m:

Patented Sept. 2, 1952 ADJUSTABLE HANDLE FoRfroo'rnBRUsHEs j' A v lerdinand Robert Haupt, St. Paul, Minn.

Application April 28, 1947, Serial No 74 4:, 1 21 'lClaim. (crane-4;)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in toothbrushes.In particular, it is concerned with toothbrushes of the adjustable type,having relatively movable brush and handle portions, with the backs ofeach lying in substantially the same plane.

In my novel toothbrush, the brush or head portion and the handle portionbeing substantially and smoothly in the same plane provides a compactand streamlined structure fully equivalent to that of any non-adjustablebrush now known to me. My brush has the additional advantage of beingfully and easily adjustable, over a wide angle and within the commonplane of head and handle thereof, so that proper care of all surfaces'ofthe teeth may be effected. Furthermore, the adjustment mechanism isconcealed, i. e., is self-contained within the interior of thetoothbrush. The application of required torque between head and handle,as by mere finger pressure, will change the relative angle therebetween;yet the adjustment is suficiently stable, when once made, to prevent anychanges by forces exerted during normal use of the toothbrush for itsintended purpose.

The invention will be more readily understood by referenceto theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of my improvedtoothbrush,

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a part of the brush on the line 8-8,Figure 1, and

Figure 2A is a bottom plan View of a portion of the brush-head.

Similar numerals refer throughout the several views.

In Figure 1, handle Ill, terminating in semicircular portion 1 l, andbrush-head l2, terminating in cooperating semi-circular portion [3, arein the same plane and in adjustable relationship therein about thecentral axis of semicircular portions II and I3. The brush-head carriesclumps of bristles l4, cemented or otherwise anchored in suitably spacedholes l5. Handle l and head l2 are permanently but movably held togetherby hollow rivet l6 and solid rivet l1.

As shown in Figure 2, the combination of hollow rivet l8, solid rivet I!having its stem internally located therein, and coiled compressionspring 19 placed around the shank and beneath the head of hollow rivetl8, holds semi-circular portion l3 of brush-head l2 firmly pressedagainst cooperating semi-circular portion ll of handle ill. The internalor cooperating faces of circular portions II and I3 contain to similarparts 4 respectively radial depressions l9" and-cooperatmg radialprotrusions 20, equally spaced, e. g., as shown inFigure 2A,andpreferably of rounded or semi-circular cross-section. The shank ofsolid rivet l'l fits tightly within'hollow rivet [8,- and its exposedtip may additionally be peened'.

over or otherwise secured so'as to hold the assembly firmly together.

With the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, it will be apparent thatthe brush-head 12 may be moved sidewise in either direction with respectto the handle Ill, about the axis of the rivet l1, and furthermore thatit will be quite rigidly held in any one of the several possiblepositions defined by cooperating protrusions 20 and depressions l9, bymeans of compression spring l9.

In place of rivets, other means for holding handle and brush-headportions in assembled relationship may be employed. For example, screwsor bolts may be used, in which event the head may readily be removed andreplaced.

Other means of locking the head in the desired angular position may alsobe employed.

It will be apparent that, although the brushhead I2 is in the same planeas the forward portion of the handle, particularly the semicircularportion thereof, and in effect forms an extension thereof, the rearwardportion of the handle may if desired be in some other plane at an anglewith the plane of the forward portion.

The adjustable feature of my novel toothbrush provides distinctadvantages when employed with brush-heads having the conventionaluniform arrangement of bristles, and in which the clumps of bristles maybe restricted to any desired area of the face of the brush-head, or maybe spaced over the entire face including the semi-circular portion. Afurther distinct improvement is obtained by the combination including anarrangement of bristles as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, wherein thebristles in effect form a wedge with the peak of the wedge above thelongitudinal axis of the brush-head and inclined upwardly from thejuncture of head and handle. With this arrangement of bristles, and withthe brush-head at a sharp angle with the handle, proper care of theteeth is greatly facilitated, since the peak of the wedge may thenreadily be placed directly in line with the vertical spaces betweenadjacent teeth.

What I claim is as follows: v

In an adjustable toothbrush, an adjustable head and handle comprising: ahandle having at one end a flat semi-circular axially perforated hingeportion having an interior face and an exterior face; and, as anangularly adjustable extension thereof, a brush-head having, at the endadjacent the handle, a flat semi-circular axially perforated hingeportion having an interior face and an exterior face; one of saidinterior faces having equally spaced radial depressions and the otherhaving cooperating equally spaced radial protrusions fitting within saiddepressions; the axial perforations of one of said joint portionsterminating at the exterior face in an enlarged recess; a compressioncoil spring fitting within said enlarged recess; a hollow rivet passingthrough the axial perforations of said hinge portions and passingthrough said coil spring, and having a flat head fitting within saidenlarged recess and over said spring, holding said spring undercompression, and holding the said hinge portions in adjustablecooperating relationship with the two interior faces together; and asolid rivet with its stein fitting, tightly within the axial bore of,said hollow rivet, said solid rivet retaining said hollow rivet in placeagainst the pressure of said compression spring FERDINAND ROBERT HAUPT.

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,091,209 Gates Mar. 24, 19141,092,014 Briggs Mar. 31, 1914 1,188,614 Bowen -1, June 27, 19161,439,913 Saxe e2 Dec. 26, 1922 1,651,251 Calkins Nov. 29, 19271,899,090 Goard Feb. 28, 1933 2,022,039 House Nov. 26, 1935 2,155,245Sekine Apr. 18, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22,340 GreatBritain of 1905 293,641 Great Britain July 12, 1928 453,724 France of1913

